UCI investigates Czech cyclist Kreuziger over doping

PRAGUE, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Czech cyclist Roman Kreuziger is facing disciplinary proceedings by the International Cycling Union (UCI) over discrepancies in his biological passport in 2011 and 2012, said Kreuziger's team Tinkoff-Saxo.

The team suspended Kreuziger for further cycling races, including the forthcoming Tour de France before further information appears.

According to the UCI Anti-Doping Foundation (CAFD), the values from Kreuziger's biological passport between March and August 2011 and in the period from April 2012 to the end of the Giro d'Italia at the end of May 2012 had revealed some anomalies. Kreuziger was employed by the Kazakh Astana at that time. The UCI informed Kreuziger about the suspicion in June 2013.

Kreuziger has denied himself of any doping practices. "I have informed the team that I did not take any banned substances and did not use any banned methods, I am ready to face any different claims," said Kreuziger on his web page. He said he determined to use all legal ways to prove the truth as soon as possible.

"I immediately let the data from my biological passport checked by two accredited experts,"said Kreuziger. "Both of them concurred that the values were caused by other influences than the use of doping substances and methods." But the CAFD was not convinced by the expert reports.

Kreuziger occupied the fifth place at Giro d'Italia in 2011 and at Tour de France in 2013.